The launch plan will be carried out in 2024
wooden satellite illustration (doc. Kyoto University)
NASA and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) plans to launch the world’s first wooden satellite into space. This is an effort to make space flight more sustainable.
According to NASA’s explanation, this coffee cup-sized satellite made of magnolia wood is called LignoSat. The satellite is planned to be launched into Earth orbit in the summer of 2024, according to the space agency.
1. Wood is the ideal material for satellites
Reported by the page Space, wood will not burn or rot in a lifeless vacuum. However, the wood will burn into fine ash when re-entering the earth’s atmosphere. This makes wood a very useful and biodegradable material for future satellites.
After successfully testing their wood samples on the International Space Station (ISS) earlier this year, scientists believe the test satellite is fit for launch.
“The three wood specimens tested showed no deformation after exposure to outer space,” the researchers said in an official statement (16/5/2023).
“Despite the extreme space environment of significant temperature changes and exposure to intense cosmic rays and harmful solar particles over ten months, testing confirmed there was no decomposition or deformation, such as cracking, warping, peeling, or surface damage.” he added.
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2023-11-26 22:05:00
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